Returning to work after maternity leave

Returning to work can be a daunting idea for a new mom who has to go back to work after a few months of maternity leave. It is hardly surprising that returning to work after 3, 6 or even 12 months of maternity leave can be, for many women, traumatic. Feeling concerned, anxious, guilty, frustrated and overwhelmed all at the same time is not uncommon in new mothers before being fully ready for work.

How to live serenely the return to work

Being anxious and puzzled when you return back to work is absolutely normal as the time you spent at home with your baby was considerable. Moreover, it may happen that, once you return, you will find all the dynamics and balances between your colleagues completely changed from the day you left them till the point you feel like you have to begin all over again.
In such a cases, it is easier to get discouraged as on one hand your recurring thoughts are always turned to you baby waiting for you at home in her pram and on the other hand the frenzied paces of your work become every day heavier and unbearable.

But don't despair. Working mothers face many challenges, but with careful planning you can make a smooth transition.

What to do:

- Ask in advance your head office a more flexible working hours and if you can take permits such as parental leave or a time off to deal with family emergency: this is a right that is guaranteed by the law and the contract
- Gather information about what happened during your absence and the projects underway
- Answer the little curiosities of your colleagues about pregnancy, breastfeeding and your baby’s growth: that will be an important moment to resume some important relationships
- Don’t be scared of facing demanding business tasks as they will help you take your place in the company again and increase your self confidence
- When you return to work after maternity leave is normal being anxious: that’s why it could be useful phoning home and making sure that everything is fine

What not to do:

- Do not let your company decide in your place but arrange together flexible working hours and permits
- Do not consider your substitute as a threat but let her help you to face the impending deadlines
- Do not talk at length about nappies and baby bottles: even if maternity represents a novelty for you and you want to talk about it with enthusiasm, you may run the risk to bore your colleagues
- At first do not postpone hard work as this will help your body and mind resume the daily pace
- In the event you are entrusted with a new task, do not be afraid of it but seize this opportunity to gain experience and grow professionally

Don’t give up!

Unfortunately, many mothers feel disadvantaged on the workplace or on the possibility to build a successful career and they are scared of being unable to reconcile efficiently work with family. Moreover, this feeling becomes consolidated due to their mistrust in the real capacity of public and private companies to offer specific services that support this new condition.
Above all, remember that the most important thing is not surrender and assert your own rights: in this way you will certainly live serenely one of the most beautiful moment of your life.

Hemorrhoids during pregnancy

Haemorrhoids during pregnancy result from blood vessels in the rectal area or vagina that become overly swollen. Surprisingly about the 30% of pregnant women suffer from this problem.

Pregnant women are more susceptible to varicose veins in part due to the increasing amount of blood circulating in their body during pregnancy and in part due to fluctuating hormonal levels. Increasing levels of progesterone help soften the walls of veins causing them to collapse and function improperly. Haemorrhoids during pregnancy result as the uterus puts more pressure on the veins supporting the pelvis including the inferior vena cava. They can also form from straining too much during a bowel movement. Because pregnant women often experience constipation during pregnancy, haemorrhoids often become problematic. This problem tends to worsen during the last months when the foetus’ weight increases and it may further aggravate during labour and childbirth.

It is important to timely report your healthcare provider if you are experiencing haemorrhoids because other conditions can cause similar symptoms and even if it isn’t a serious problem it can lead to complications like anaemia and anal fissures. Indeed, it is necessary to win over any kind of embarrassment and consult the doctor about the possible treatments.

Fortunately there are many simple and effective strategies for treating haemorrhoids during pregnancy depending on the seriousness of the disorder and its entity. In case haemorrhoids become a serious problem, doctor may prescribe specific drugs for varicose veins that do not harm the foetus as well as soothing creams. Instead, if haemorrhoids has occurred since a few time and do not cause excessive pain and inconveniences it is possible to treat them by following simple behaviour rules.

1. First of all get daily exercise, like walking. Exercise speeds up the intestines and helps venous blood return to heart. Exercise has to be always practiced with the due cautions by dedicating to those exercises that are more appropriate to a pregnant woman and avoiding excessive strains. The ideal solution would be walking a lot, taking advantage of walking the dog or if you already have the baby carrying him in the baby carrier, in the pram or in a lightweight stroller.
2. Avoid constipation: follow a high-fibre diet, drink plenty of water (eight to ten glasses a day). This will help keep you more regular and reduce the amount of constipation you experience during pregnancy. Avoid also to get excessive quantities of foodstuff that can irritate intestine mucous like fatty foods, coffee, sugar, spicy food and obviously alcoholics. As regards your personal hygiene, use only mild soap, lukewarm water and rub gently. You should avoid using a too much hot or cold water.
3. Finally, try to avoid wearing tight clothes that may lead to local irritations and inflammations.
   

The most important thing in such a delicate pathology is win over the embarrassment of facing and talking about the problem. If not neglected, haemorrhoids do not bring particular complications and disappear completely within 40 days after childbirth. In case the situation gets worse, it is possible to undergo a little day surgery with local anaesthesia that can be the final solution to the problem.

Don’t worry, this is only one of the many little discomforts you may experience during pregnancy but it is worth bearing it to become mother!

Peg Perego and Inglesina: finally the new collections are arrived!

On Bimbomarket the new Peg Perego and Inglesina collections are finally arrived!

The new Peg Perego collection 2010 proposes you new travel systems like the fantastic Trio Pliko Switch Modular ES but also many new pushchairs, car seats and prams.

The new Inglesina products distinguish for their elegance, the originality of colours and fashionable design. Come and visit Bimbomarket: you will find all the new colours of the trio Zippy, Zippy Free and Otutto as well as novelties like highchairs, prams and meal time accessories.

The new Peg Perego and Inglesina collections are waiting for you on Bimbomarket, the childproof online shop!

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy

In modern society, alcohol abuse has always been considered to be a typical male behaviour assigning to women a lower and restrained consumption.
However, at today people drink alcohol for a variety of reasons, the “fashion” of drinking, the need to use it as a mean to reduce and bear stress, emotional upset and daily problems and these factors may lead women too to drink excessive quantities of alcohol even when they are young and during their fertile age.

The risk of prenatal damages due to alcohol consumption has not to be ignored and it has always been a difficult issue. Indeed, alcohol consumption during pregnancy (both on a regular basis both occasionally) may lead to severely harm the foetus potentially causing life altering birth defects. Heavy alcohol drinking can also lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, or stillbirth.

Alcohol effects on a foetus

When you drink, the alcohol quickly travels through your bloodstream, crosses the placenta, and reaches your baby. Your baby breaks down alcohol more slowly than you do so it is more exposed to its harmful effects. In other words, when you consume alcohol, so does your baby.
Among the more common foetal damages the alcohol can cause include:

- Fasd - Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: is the term experts use to describe the range of problems related to alcohol exposure during pregnancy. The most severe result of alcohol use is foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a lifelong condition characterized by poor growth (in the womb, after birth, or both), abnormal facial features (microcephaly, micro ophthalmia, hypoplasia) and damage to the central nervous system.

- Arns - Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder: a less severe syndrome than Fas that hits the babies whose mothers drink moderately. The consequences may range from behavioural and intellectual disorders (minor intelligence quotient and motor or memory impairment) or may trigger autistic behaviours.

Factors that raise the risk

It is important to understand that not all the foetal exposures to alcohol necessarily lead to harm severely baby’s health even though the possibilities are very high. Indeed, the risk to give birth to a baby affected by the above-mentioned pathologies can considerably raise because of the following factors:

- the alcohol quantity taken during pregnancy
- if the consumption was chronic or occasional
- the interaction with other substances like medicines, hard drugs or smoking
- genetic predisposition
- living conditions
- nourishing

Prevention and treatment

Permanent damages to foetus caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy can be avoided with a careful prevention.
Indeed, expecting mothers and their partners should be properly informed about the risks for the baby caused by alcohol and they should also be aware that the current scientific knowledge do not define the quantity of alcohol proven to be safe without laying baby’s health open to risks. Moreover, mother should know that even after childbirth she will face new difficulties renouncing for example to natural breastfeeding and applying to artificial milk.

In case the mother-to-be has overindulged in alcohol consumption during pregnancy, doctor’s intervention can be fundamental as he can motivate her to give up drinking or advice her to refer to an alcohol addiction treatment centre.
Indeed, a timely treatment can help the foetus develop healthy even though it was already exposed to a great quantities of alcohol.